There is no tried and true formula to winning in the NBA.Most people, my foolish self included, believe in the sanctity of building through the draft and through cost effective moves in free agency to build around those great players you drafted.However, it’s becoming increasingly evident that the most successful formula, is to stack your team to the best of your abilities and then follow by adding in a bunch of older players willing to take a veterans salary to contribute to a championship team (or coattail their way to a championship, if you will).There’s been no more glaring example of stacking your team than what happened in Miami this offseason.The Heat stayed away from improving their team through free agency for most of the last two years, traded away players this offseason with the sole hope of free agency and then watched it all pay off as both LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami to form one of the most controversial rosters in NBA history.Whether or not this pays off is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, teams like Orlando and Atlanta, the division’s two best teams the past two seasons, went the traditional route of building on their success by focusing on player development and keeping the core intact.Orlando, already possessing one of the best players in the league in all world center Dwight Howard, were exposed in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, and whispers of the team being soft were as loud as ever.Meanwhile, those whispers against Orlando were shouts against Atlanta, as a second straight season ended in them being swept out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.They’ve now dedicated a ton of money to a roster that many feel have already peaked, and this may be Atlanta’s last year to be seen as contenders in the East.

Meanwhile, Washington drafted their hopeful superstar this past June in John Wall.Lucking into the number one overall selection, Washington chose Wall and decided to ask questions later.It’s still a mystery as to how Wall and Gilbert Arenas will play on the court together and Arenas’ insistence on not being seen as a distraction has already directly caused a distraction for the team.And Charlotte, after buying big time to make the playoffs last year, got swept in their first postseason appearance in franchise history and kept the team together in hopes that they improve.

So which method of management is best conducive to an NBA Championship?We’ve seen both methods in the last few years, but the better bet is on Miami this year.Ultimately, though, we’ll see come June which blueprint is truly the most successful.

1) Miami HeatIncoming Players: Dexter Pittman, Da’Sean Butler, Patrick Beverly, Chris Bosh, Eddie House, Juwan Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, LeBron James, Mike MillerOutgoing Players: Quentin Richardson, Jermaine O’Neal, Michael Beasley, Dorell Wright, Yakhouba Diawara, Daequan CookTeam Analysis: Easily the most hyped team in recent NBA memory (including the 2008 Boston Celtics), the Heat enter this season as a captivating story, polarizing figures and, most of all, a pretty solid basketball team.Although not your traditional eight deep, in sync roster that you’d come to expect from many of the league’s greatest, the Heat feature three of the best players in the league in their starting lineup and did so after a humongous free agent coup by Pat Riley this offseason.When the team did everything from passing up on free agents, trading away draft picks and letting players walk in order to clear the cap space for this summer, it was pretty evident that team president Pat Riley had gone all in and was gambling the franchise’s future on this offseason alone.But his gambles paid off when Dwyane Wade resigned, Chris Bosh came over in free agency and then two time defending NBA MVP LeBron James, in a not so subtle manner, announced he was taking his talents to South Beach as well.

What sets these guys apart from previous players who teamed up to take over the league is that all of these guys are in their prime.From a historical standpoint, most fans were upset to see three players in their prime basically take the “easy route” and join up to win championships.But from a basketball standpoint, it’s a bold move that should pay off for the Heat.After trading away Michael Beasley in order to resign Udonis Haslem and add Mike Miller in free agency, the Heat had every who’s who of past-their-prime role players knocking on the door to try and get that elusive championship before retirement.Former all stars Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard were among the first to join the team and will probably be among the team’s most important reserves in the frontcourt.Take that for what it’s worth.

The rest of the roster isn’t shaping up as anything beautiful but, honestly, they don’t need to be incredibly deep.The talent gap between the third best player on the team and the fourth best player on the team is humongous, and therein lies the question of how this team is really going to perform this season if an injury is to happen, if one of the players struggles in adapting to a limited role or if dare the other starters like Mario Chalmers or Joel Anthony to beat them.At the end of the day, the Heat will rely heavily on Miller and Haslem to bolster the big three and, if they stay healthy and perform to their capabilities, it could be more than enough for the Heat to reign as champions.But with players like Wade, Miller and Bosh all having a history with injuries, the room for error is really thin.There’s no doubt that just as Pat Riley was this offseason, this Heat roster better be all in to win a championship this season, or else the critics will be as loud as ever.2) Orlando MagicIncoming Players: Daniel Orton, Stanley Robinson, Malik Allen, Chris Duhon, Quentin RichardsonOutgoing Players: Matt Barnes, Adonal Foyle, Anthony JohnsonTeam Analysis: Lost in some of the hoopla surrounding this offseason was the 2009 Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic.After making the NBA Finals in 2009, the team was bounced from the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 in convincing fashion by the Boston Celtics.Although the team had strong performances from Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, the rest of the team faltered as the Celtics closed out the Magic in six games.Despite his strong performance, however, all of the criticism remained on Dwight Howard and his inability to will his team to victory.Due to his frustration with the criticism, with teams playing him very physical and with consistently being in foul trouble during last year’s postseason, Howard is said to be a man on a mission this offseason, working with 2008 Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon on his still developing offensive repertoire and promising to cut down on the fan friendly, childish actions that most fans have associated him with.If Howard is able to continue to progress offensively to already meet his fantastic defensive presence and capabilities, then the Magic could soon posses the most dominant player in the league.But his development is key to how far Orlando goes this season.

Players like Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis struggled with consistency last season after huge years in 2009.There’s no doubt that the team as a whole performed much better when Nelson played at a high level and struggled when he did, and his attempts to regain his early form of the 2009 season will be huge for Orlando if he’s to reach that level.However, numerous offseason attempts to move Nelson to improve the roster probably don’t bode well for the team’s hope of him doing so.Lewis on the other hand is finally being criticized for his ludicrous salary as his production, while never fully meeting his paycheck before, became a detriment to the team last season when his offensive numbers fell across the board.A move back to his more natural Small Forward position would probably suit Lewis well, but the offense that Orlando runs gels better when Lewis is at the Power Forward spot shooting a high percentage from outside.The team’s lineup, ultimate success and even fiscal future could depend a lot on how Lewis plays this year.

As far as the role players that surround the team’s most central figures, Quentin Richardson enters after Matt Barnes left to join the Lakers.He can probably replace Barnes’ offensive production, but he will struggle to match Barnes’ importance on the defensive end.Therefore, more will be asked of Mickael Pietrus this season in Orlando, and you have to wonder if he’ll be up to the task for a full season and postseason.The team matched Chicago’s offer sheet for J.J. Redick, giving them three of the highest paid reserves in the league in Redick, Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass.Bass, who barely played at all last year, is more of a traditional PF and his strong postseason play may result in a more traditional lineup at times for Orlando.But whether Stan Van Gundy commits to him or Ryan Anderson as the back-up PF depends on whether or not he wants to abandon the system the team has ran the past two seasons.Whether or not the system they’ve ran has run its course is still to be seen, and will play a large factor into whether or not the team returns to the NBA Finals this season.

3) Washington WizardsIncoming Players: John Wall, Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker, Hamady N’diaye, Hilton Armstrong, Kirk Hinrich, Yi JianlianOutgoing Players: Shaun Livingston, Mike Miller, Fabricio Oberto, Cartier Martin, James Singleton, Cedric Jackson, Quinton Ross, Randy Foye, Earl BoykinsTeam Analysis: Two years ago, Washington did very much the same thing that Atlanta did this offseason.Even though the team had made the postseason four consecutive years, they had only one playoff victory in those four years to show for it and many felt the team had reached its peak.Instead, the Wizards committed a combined 161 million dollars over 6 and 4 years, respectively, to franchise players Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.Arenas has played only 34 games in the two seasons since signing that contract while Jamison was traded to Cleveland at last season’s trade deadline in a moment where the Wizards decided to rebuild the roster.Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood were all traded at last season’s deadline, but Arenas’ contract looks immovable, and the team will put him on the court again; at least for this season.But after committed a huge chunk of cash to what many felt was an above average cast, the Wizards saw injuries and suspensions ruin the team’s reputation and overall winning percentage, as the Wizards have combined for 55 victories in the two seasons that followed that spending spree to keep the team intact.And although 2009’s 19 win season was ugly, it hit rock bottom last year after Arenas was suspended for supposedly drawing a gun out towards a teammate in an argument over a card game in the team’s locker room.What followed was a largely upsetting season where the team only won 26 games.

But the team’s luck may eventually be turning around.After the death of owner Abe Polin last year, the team was successfully sold to Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, they scored the number one overall pick in the draft and used it on Kentucky point guard John Wall, and had impressive second half performances from big men Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee after the trade deadline, giving the team a semblance of hope this upcoming season.In John Wall, the Wizards immediately have a new face of the franchise and cornerstone player around whom the team plans to build.Wall won almost every collegiate award in his freshman season at Kentucky and hopes to follow in Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans’ shoes as point guards under former college coach John Calipari who went on to win the Rookie of the Year award.Rose and Evans have won the last two respectively.That would be a welcome change of pace for Washington, who are trying to reunite with their fan base and shake the problems that hurt the team on and off the court the last two seasons.

Gilbert Arenas has already caused problems.Most media outlets are talking about his stern expressions, reluctance to give interviews and unwillingness to show any emotion as an act more so than a turning of the leaf, and he’s already been fined by the league for faking an injury to allow guard Nick Young more playing time this preseason.How he reacts to this year plays a large role in how the team ultimately does.Blatche performed very well as the go to guy in the second half of last season and McGee had an impressive showing at this year’s summer league and followed it up by being one of the final players cut from the final roster for the USA’s World Championship team.If those two players team up with Wall to show a consistent production this year, then the Wizards, at the very least, will have something to build around for the future.They could be one of the surprise teams in the league this year.But a lot of that depends on whether or not Gilbert Arenas buys into the system, and also whether or not he can regain some of the magic he showed on the court prior to his first knee injury late in the 2008 season.

4) Atlanta HawksIncoming Players: Jordan Crawford, Pape Sy, Josh Powell, Etan ThomasOutgoing Players: Randolph Morris, Mario West, Joe Smith, Team Analysis: For eight straight seasons, the Atlanta Hawks were a dependable team in terms of NBA Futility.They routinely finished among the worst teams in the league, underwent numerous head coaching and regime changes and couldn’t convince any star player to capitalize on their infinite cap space.Joe Johnson changed all that when he left for Atlanta in the middle of that run in 2005, and by his third season with the team, Atlanta had returned to the NBA playoffs and pushed the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round in 2008.Two Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances followed, but both were convincing sweeps at the hands of Cleveland and Orlando.Instead of figuring that the roster had reached its peak with those two consecutive embarrassing exits, the Hawks instead figured it to be head coach Mike Woodson, who oversaw a gradual improvement with the Hawks from 13 wins in his first season in 2004 to the 53 wins the team achieved last season.Stepping into his place will be longtime assistant coach Larry Drew, who wants to run a more motion based offense instead of the isolation game that Woodson preferred.Fully believing that it was Woodson, and not the roster, that had held the Hawks back, Atlanta committed six years and 129 million dollars to Joe Johnson this offseason in hopes that he can continue to lead the Hawks as they try and improve upon their past success.Whether or not that contract eventually spells an early fall from grace or an eventual rise to glory is largely debatable.

But Johnson’s not the only important player on the team.The Hawks still have hope that Josh Smith, coming off a very impressive season last year, will continue his ascension among the most exciting players in the league.Graced with natural athleticism and starting to finally develop a better feel for the game, Smith had his best year last year with new head coach Drew working directly with him.His development could mean wonders for Atlanta.The team does have two more contract situations to work out.Reigning sixth man of the year Jamaal Crawford is asking for an extension as is All Star center Al Horford.As of yet, neither have reached deals and Crawford has asked to be traded if he doesn’t reach an extension with the team.With rookie Jordan Crawford capable of playing a similar role, there’s a good chance that Jamaal doesn’t finish the year with the team.But we’ll see with how those contracts are worked whether or not the Hawks are truly committed to keeping this team intact.And we’ll see in due time if that was the correct decision to make.

5) Charlotte BobcatsIncoming Players: Sherron Collins, Kwame Brown, Matt Carroll, Shaun Livingston, Dominic McGuire, Eduardo NajeraOutgoing Players: Raymond Felton, Theo Ratliff, Tyson Chandler, Larry Hughes, Stephen Graham, Alexis AjincaTeam Analysis: Ever since head coach Larry Brown came to Charlotte in 2008, the team has seen a plethora of bold moves made by team president and eventual team owner Michael Jordan in an attempt to remove Charlotte from the sea of mediocrity it had been in for the majority of its existence.Those bold moves finally resulted in a playoff appearance last season, although the Bobcats were quickly swept by Orlando in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.But because of the major moves Charlotte made to become winners: namely taking on the contracts of big men DeSagana Diop and Nazr Mohammed, and also taking on the contracts of productive wing players Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson, the Bobcats reverted back to seller mode this offseason.Since Brown came to the team in 2008, only Gerald Wallace remains from the team that Brown inherited, and the team has made so many moves that it reacquired Matt Carroll, a player the team traded in 2009, in an offseason trade that rid themselves of Tyson Chandler’s big salary.Therefore, it could be said that the Bobcats won’t be afraid to wheel and deal again this season, although early indications would be that the team will be more in seller mode this season.

True to that, the team let Raymond Felton walk in free agency and the biggest question surrounding the Bobcats is who will play the point guard position.2008 first round draft pick D.J. Augustin looks to be the early favorite, although he’s been pushed by former lottery pick Shaun Livingston for the job.Neither are Earth shattering candidates to run the point, so we may see a lot of the offense being run through Stephen Jackson.It’s fair to call Wallace the best player on the Bobcats team, but it’s no coincidence that Jackson’s midseason acquisition coincided with a run that got the team to its first ever playoff appearance.More may be asked of Jackson this year, who saw his numbers dip a little bit last year after leaving Golden State’s offense.He and Wallace are easily the team’s best players, and Wallace is still the face of the franchise, having remained with the team since its inception in 2004.

The Bobcats downgraded the team in terms of talent when they traded disappointing center Tyson Chandler to Dallas for Erick Dampier’s non guaranteed contract and mainly hustle players in Matt Carroll and Eduardo Najera.Najera has been a fan favorite wherever he’s gone, but his skill set is better suited for a more talented team.Carroll had his best years in Charlotte, and may assume a bigger role with the team this season than he had while in Dallas.Dampier was quickly cut, leaving the center position about as uninspiring as the team’s outlook at point guard, with Diop and Mohammed being the early options at that position.The Bobcats are a tough team to get a grip on, as they should be looked at as a team on the rise given their first postseason appearance in franchise history occurred last season, but the team is largely made up of veterans, and not all of those veterans are in the peak of their careers anymore.In fact, it’s arguable that Wallace is the only one still in his peak.So while the Bobcats built something last year, it’s hard to envision them building on that this season.

I figured since I didn't do a playoff preview this season for each team as I did last year, I'll do a fun little countdown to this year's draft, since that's where my team is going to be instead of the postseason. This is, easily, the hardest time I've had trying to decide where to put a draft. There were three or four drafts I could have considered here for the #7 spot but, after a careful 3 minute deliberation, I feel that I've made the right choice to put here. What choice was that? Well here is the number 7 draft on our countdown, the 2001 NBA Draft which features some monumental busts, a lot of high school players (coincidence?), and quite a few really talented foreign players. Let's see how it all went down.

Not an overly horrible top ten, but not a great group of guys either. There was a lot of controversy before the draft at the speculation of how many high schoolers would be drafted so early. For that reason, a lot of people were cheering for Shane Battier, a four year colleigate athlete who was a terrific player for the Duke Blue Devils, to be the number one guy. Instead, it came down to Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler for the number one pick and, famously, Michael Jordan's Wizards drafted Kwame Brown. Brown was, obviously, the first high schooler ever to be taken number one and he showed flashes of being a really good player in his third season, but totally regressed and will struggle to stay in the league this offseason. Chandler was drafted by his hometown Clippers but was immediately traded to Chicago for all star Elton Brand, with Chicago hoping to pair Chandler up with hometown product Eddy Curry and create the team's frontcourt for the future. Neither Chandler or Curry lasted five years in Chicago. Chandler has shown to be the better player of the two, but has struggled with injuries and consistency. Curry has struggled with his weight and work ethic, but is still eating up the Knicks payroll. Gasol is probably the best player out of the draft and he made a splash for the Grizzlies (who relocated to Memphis shortly after this draft) but has really made a name for himself for the Lakers the past few years. Richardson was a high flying shooting guard who played in the post a lot for the Warriors, but he eventually learned a three point shot and now that's all he takes. He's still been a solid player in this league though. Battier, while never showing he was worthy of the number one pick, has made a nice career for himself as a great on ball defender. Eddie Griffin was once rumored to be the number one pick, but attitude issues sent him down the list and then battles with alcohol eventually led him to fall in and out of rotations in the league. Sadly, Griffin made a nice comeback with Minnesota in the 04-05 season, but was waived a few years later after battling with his alcohol again, and was later killed in 2007 when his car was hit by a train. Diop and White turned out to be huge busts for their respective teams. Diop showed no basketball talent at all after Cleveland selected him, but because of his size has found a way to stay in the league. Rodney White was a nice offensive player who did not work in Detroit at all before Denver took a chance on him and was eventually out of the league after three seasons. Joe Johnson, meanwhile, was shipped to Phoenix during his rookie season where he eventually become a solid player before signing with Atlanta and becoming an all star. He'll be a sought after free agent this offseason.

Jefferson and Collins were immediately traded by the Rockets to New Jersey for the talented, but troubled Griffin (who we already covered). Jefferson and Collins became starters for the second of two straight NBA Finals apperances for the Nets while we all know what happened to Griffin. Brown followed Joe Johnson as the second consecutive first round pick for Boston and while they gave up on Johnson, Brown simply did not work out at all and was out of the league in four years. Radmanovic was a big man who could shoot from deep long range and was a solid contributor for Seattle and the Clippers before signing a long term deal with the Lakers and regressing big time. He's still in the league, though. Murphy has found a way to be a consistent 15 and 10 guy for his entire career. He's a great three point shooter and rebounder but has still not yet played in the playoffs. Hason and Bradley were both out of their league in the NBA and Haston was gone in two years while Bradley only lasted five. Randolph has managed to become a great low post scorer in this league but has not yet had much team success. Haywood was taken to be the smart college player to Brown's high school inexperience and managed to be a better player than Brown. Haywood has managed to stay a starting center in this league for, basically, his entire career.

If anyone's wondering why there's only 28 picks this season, this was during the stretch where the Minnesota Timberwolves had their first round picks taken away from them due to the Joe Smith contract situation. Picks 21-24 did not make it in the NBA at all. Forte continued a horrible draft for the Boston Celtics and was eventually out of the league in two years. Sasser did not make any impression at all (I had no recollection of him in the league) and he was out of the league in two years as well. Armstrong was part of the Jefferson for Griffin deal between Houston and New Jersey but he didn't make the splash that Jefferson or even Collins did and he was out of the league by 2004. Lopez was supposed to be the eventual replacement for John Stockton in Utah but took a year to sign, tore his ACL and was then out of the league by 2005. The last four picks, however, weren't that bad. Wallace was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in their expansion draft after three years on Sacramento's bench and has become the face of the franchise, even making the all star game this season. Dalembert became a nice shot blocker for Philadelphia and is still a fantastic athlete who has never put it together on the court (even after Philadelphia payed him that huge contract). Tinsley was immediately Indiana's starting point guard but eventually inconsistencies and legal problems ruined his career in Indiana and he sat on their payroll without playing for almost two years before he was eventually cut. He's now a back up for the Grizzlies. Tony Parker, meanwhile, was the last pick of the first round and was one of those famous Spurs unknowns who walked in and made an impact immediately. Parker was the team's starting point guard by the end of his rookie season, won the first of three NBA Championships in his second season and was even named the 2007 NBA Finals MVP.

This draft featured a pretty deep pool of talent. Hassell is a defensive specialist who started for some successful Minnesota and Dallas teams and is currently playing for the Nets. Gilbert Arenas won the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2003 after finally learning the point guard position but then signed on with the Wizards. Unfortunately, knee injuries and legal issues have caused him to miss 199 out of a possible 246 games the last three seasons. Scalabrine has managed to stay in the league and was even on the Celtics roster that won the 2008 championship. Okur would win a championship in 2004 with Detroit before going on to Utah and becoming an all star center. Watson has managed to be a nice back up point guard in this league for his entire career and looks to still have some kind of future in the NBA. Simmons, meanwhile, was a raw talent with no shooting ability and, coincidentally, has become a player who shoots nothing but three pointers. Jarron Collins is the twin brother of first round pick Jason Collins and has, like his brother, found a way to stay in the league this long and even started in this postseason for the Phoenix Suns.

Notable Undrafted Players:Carlos Arroyo, PG, Florida International - Signed with the Utah Jazz in 2002Charlie Bell, PG, Michigan State - Signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005Maurice Evans, SF, Texas - Signed with the Minnesota TimberwolvesJamario Moon, SF, Meridian Community College - Signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2007Andres Nocioni, PF, Argentina - Signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2004

Arroyo eventually joined 24th pick Raul Lopez as the future point guard for the Jazz after John Stockton left. He didn't have much success in that spot but has found a way to stay in the league so far. He's probably best known, however, for scoring 25 points in a game during the 2004 Olympics leading his Puerto Rican team to a blowout victory over the USA team. Bell is a defensive specialist at the point guard position and, eventually, was paid handsomely in the 2007 offseason. He's still with Milwaukee. Evans was a nice scorer for Texas and, after struggling to stick with certain teams, became a rotation player for Sacramento in 2004. He eventually became a starter for the Magic in 2008 during a successful postseason run for the team and is now a bench specialist for the Atlanta Hawks. Moon waited the longest for his big break and played a lot in the NBDL before finally signing with Toronto in 2007. The high flyer eventually made the 2008 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Nocioni, meanwhile, signed with Chicago in 2004 after winning a gold medal with the Argentinan National Team and immediately made a splash for the Bulls with his aggressive defense (which some called dirty) and his frantic style of play. He was, however, overpaid in 2007 and is barely on the court for Sacramento.

2001-2002 NBA All-Rookie Second Team: Jamaal TinsleyRichard JeffersonEddie GriffinZeljko Rebraca (who was originally drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in 1994 before having his rights traded to the Detroit Pistons in 1999 and finally signing in 2001)Vladimir Radmanovic and Joe Johson tied for the fifth spot

I figured since I didn't do a playoff preview this season for each team as I did last year, I'll do a fun little countdown to this year's draft, since that's where my team is going to be instead of the postseason. The draft lottery is tonight, so with the lukewarm reception I received with yesterday's submission (and yes I am using the term lukewarm very loosely), I wanted to get out # 9 before tonight's game. Just to let you know, we can all agree that 2000 is the worst draft of the bunch, so everything after this is entirely subjective and, honestly, I can switch from 9 to 5 as often as I want and I won't feel comfortable with my list. But comment, agree or disagree, whatever. Here's number 9 on my top ten draft lists: the 2007 NBA Draft which features some good names but, overall, a lot of dissapointing performances from a lot of the top picks.

Not a horrible list of top ten players. Kevin Durant is a bonafide stud and looks to be the, unquestioned, star of this draft. As one of the exciting young players in the league, Seattle definitely got right. Portland, bless their hearts, took a chance on another big man over a solid wing player and look to be experiencing deja vu all over again, what with Greg Oden's injuries to both his right and his left knee, and he's missed 164 out of a possible 246 games. Horford has become a nice pieces for the Hawks as has his Florida teammate Joakim Noah for the Bulls. Both are probably playing out of position at center, but the league's small lineups have allowed both to become potential perennial all stars at their positions. Their other Florida teammate, Corey Brewer, finally showed some life in Minnesota this season after two dull years while players like Conley and Yi Jianlian are still waiting to turn the corner and become good players. Jianlian, especially, made a big deal about being drafted to Milwaukee and not wanting to play there, although he eventually did before being traded to New Jersey after his rookie season. Jeff Green is another solid contributing piece to those very promising Oklahoma City teams now while players like Wright and Hawes have battled injuries and inconsistency, and haven't yet shown that they can be counted consistently on by either of their rebuilding squads.

This list of 11 to 20 just reeks of mediocrity. You can't really say anything horrible about any of the players on this list outside of Law and Williams, but nobody, maybe Young, Thornton or Stuckey, has shown they can be really good players in this league. Law never got on the court in Atlanta and is now sitting as a back up in Chicago. Young has shown some promise for Philadelphia, especially last season, but regressed badly this year. Wright showed some potential his rookie season but has done nothing after that for New Orleans. Thornton has put up the best numbers of this bunch but did so with no expectations for the Clippers and dissapeared after a midseason traded to Washington this year. Stuckey has been hyped a lot in Detroit but hasn't lived up to his promise any season. Players like Nick Young and Belinelli have shown in spots that they can be competent players in this league, but neither cashed in on their increased playing time this season. Meanwhile Crittenton didn't even last the full year with the Lakers and got involved in the infamous Gilbert Arenas gun incident this season while Smith has been a forgettable player for the Sixers but has still stayed on the team.

This isn't a bad 21-30 list either. Cook, Dudley and Afflalo became really solid contributing pieces for playoff teams this season. Wilson Chandler and Rudy Fernandez have both shown some promise although neither has shown that they can be great. Aaron Brooks won the Most Improved Player of the Year award this season and really broke out in last year's postseason after becoming the starting point guard for the Rockets. Almond and Tucker never did work out in their respective organizations and are now no longer in the league (as far as I know). Meanwhile, Splitter and Koponen are hyped prospects by both of their respective fanbases but are still playing overseas. Splitter, especially, is being counted on to be the big man of the future in San Antonio, although all that has yet to be seen. Rounding out the first one, there's a lot of nice, solid players on this list but Durant looks like the only great player in the first round.

Not a bad list of 2nd round guys. Actually some really solid names on this list minus Gray, who I only put on here because he's still playing in the league and because he plays for the Hornets. Landry has become the consumate tough guy, has lost almost all of his teeth playing basketball and become a really good player for the Rockets and then the Kings this season. Big Baby Davis was part of the deal that sent Jeff Green to Seattle, and after an OK rookie season, really exploded in the playoffs last year and is a solid bench player for some great Boston teams. Marc Gasol was used later that season in the trade that brought his brother Pau Gasol to the Lakers and Marc is now the starting center for the Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Sessions has shown so much promise every single season that he plays, but is still struggling to put it all together consistently.

2007-2008 NBA All-Rookie First TeamAl HorfordKevin DurantLuis Scola (who was originally drafted in 2002 by the Spurs before finally being traded to, and then signing with, Houston in 2007)Al ThorntonJeff Green

2007-2008 NBA All-Rookie Second TeamJamario Moon (who went undrafted in 2001 before finally signing with the Raptors in 2007)Juan Carlos Navarro (who was originally drafted in 2002 by the Wizards before being traded to, and the signing with, Memphis in 2007)Thaddeus YoungRodney StuckeyCarl Landry

2010 is coming. If you have watched basketball at all the last two seasons, all that's mentioned is the future destinations of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company. While those two are dynomite and will be worth whatever amount of cash a team throws at them, players like Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer have Juwan Howard written all over them. Because teams are guaranteed to overspend, we're going to look back at the ten worst contracts of the last ten years, starting in 2000 and ending now. We'll list each player by the team he signed with, the length and amount of the contract and their statistics for the duration of their contract.

15. Gilbert Arenas, G, Washington Wizards: 6 Years, 111 Million Dollars in the 2008 offseason (27 Games, 21.4 PPG, 7.2 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG) - Some people may say that it's way too early to include Gilbert Arenas in this discussion, but why wait for the continuted, inevitable decline of the Wizards franchise? Two years into this deal, in fact as soon as the ink dried on the dotted line, fans and analysts alike knew that this was bad news for Washington. Arenas was coming off of the historically fatal microfracture knee surgery and a season which he had only played 13 regular season and 2 postseason games. Furthermore, the Wizards were coming off successive first round exits in the postseason and had resigned Antawn Jamison to a similar contract in terms of annual salary. So when they turned around and invested 111 million dollars (outbidding themselves) to retain Arenas, the Wizards had invested tons of money into a team that hadn't even won 50 games as a unit. Arenas rewarded the Wizards by having a third surgery on his knee and missed all but two games last season. He's come back and put up decent numbers this season (with a shooting percentage in the low 40's) but the Wizards are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference after being preseason favorites for a run at the postseason. With a lack of young talent, a lot of money invested in their current players and with the return being constant defeats, things look bad for the Wizards, and they're going to wish they had 111 million dollars to spend elsewhere.

14. Luol Deng, F, Chicago Bulls: 6 Years, 71 Million Dollars in the 2008 offseason (74 Games, 15.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.2 SPG) - A really nice player with a really solid game, Deng was acquired as a rookie by the Chicago Bulls and contributed to some solid teams that made the postseason. He showed flashes of being a solid player, but he never seemed like a superstar. When the 2008 offseason came, the Bulls were forced with the decision of retaining either Deng or guard Ben Gordon long term; or let both of them walk. The Bulls decided to give that money to Deng and signed Gordon to a one year offer. Gordon became the leading scorer for the Bulls, led the team to an almost upset over the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2009 postseason and turned that into a 55 million dollar with the Detroit Pistons. Deng watched the postseason from the bench in street clothes. Deng is healthy and playing solid basketball for the Bulls this season, but there's no denying that he's not worth the money that he's receiving.

13. Erick Dampier, F-C, Dallas Mavericks: 7 Years, 73 Million Dollars in the 2004 offseason (389 Games, 6.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG) - Notorious for playing big in contract years and then turning that into a payday, Dampier became a 12 point, 12 rebound force in the 2003-2004 season for Golden State and was looking like a prize center in the 2004 offseason. Most critics pointed to his increase in production in a contract year being a bad sign, but Mark Cuban ignored all red flags and signed Dampier to a huge long term deal. Dampier has held down the starting center job for Dallas since being acquired, but it's mostly been by default and because of the paycheck that he's receiving. There's no denying that he dogged it his entire career only to play big in his contract year and get paid handsomely. Because he hasn't prevented the Mavericks from continuing to be a solid franchise, Dampier escapes being further up on this list. Author's Note: Dampier is currently having the best year of his contract. One other thing that should be noted, he has the option to opt out of his contract this offseason. Coincidence?

12. Michael Redd, G, Milwaukee Bucks: 6 Years, 91 Million Dollars in the 2005 offseason (247 Games, 23.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG) - Always a nice player, Redd had been the best player for some really mediocre Milwaukee Bucks teams in 2004 and 2005. The deadly sharpshooter was sought after by the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers, with hopes that Redd could partner up alongside a young LeBron James and become the nail in the coffin for teams that were paying too much attention to LeBron. Because of all the attention Cleveland was giving Michael Redd, fan interest forced the Bucks to engage in a bidding war with Cleveland. What followed was the contract that Milwaukee eventually gave Redd to become their franchise player. While Redd continued to be as good as he was before signing the contract, he was never a great player and is extremely one dimensional. Sometimes shooting the Bucks out of games, Redd has become a villian of sorts in Milwaukee as the team has routinely played better when he's not in the lineup. After leading the Bucks to the postseason in the first year of his contract, the Bucks have become embarassingly mediocre since and Redd is viewed as the most glaring of some bad personnel decisions in Milwaukee. Author's Note: Look for Andre Iguodala to become a Michael Redd-type bad contract in Philadelphia.

11. Larry Hughes, G, Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Years, 70 Million Dollars in the 2005 offseason (251 Games, 13.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG) - The Cavaliers were jilted at the altar by Michael Redd, so with all of the free cap space they had, they went after a different shooting guard to become the Scottie Pippen to LeBron's Michael Jordan. The money they had was given to Larry Hughes. Always a player with a ton of untapped potential, Hughes became a solid force for some surprisingly successful Washington franchises before his contract went up and looked to have finally reached the level of play he was capable of by the time Cleveland signed him. However, Hughes never justified the contract that Cleveland gave him. Cleveland tried him at point guard, shooting guard, sixth man and defensive stopper before growing tired of his inconsistency and knack for injuries. They shipped him off to Chicago and from there he was shipped to New York where he currently plays. Hughes and his contract have been heavily criticized and extremely disliked everywhere he's been (and fans have let him know about that) but the Knicks are holding onto his contract for the free cap space it will create this offseason.

10. Samuel Dalembert, C, Philadelphia 76ers: 6 Years, 63 Million Dollars in the 2005 offseason (339 Games, 8.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.1 BPG) - A freakishly long and tall player with a lot of shot blocking potential, Dalembert, because of his size and difficult to pronounce name, drew a lot of comparisons to Dikembe Mutombo and was viewed as a solid player on the rise by the time Philadelphia gave him his contract. Even though he had the ideal body and athleticism to become a dominat rebounder and shot blocker, Dalembert never materialized as anything more than mediocre. Even though he's held down the starting center position for Philadelphia for the duration of his contract, he's a classic case of someone with all of the potential in the world who just never developed. Every offseason becomes "maybe this is the year" for Dalembert, and every year he puts up maddingly inconsistent numbers and dissapoints both Philadelphia coaches and fans.

9. Allan Houston, G, New York Knicks: 6 Years, 100 Million Dollars in the 2001 offseason (229 Games, 20.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.4 APG) - At the time of his signing, Houston a Knick favorite and had led the team to the NBA Finals just a couple years prior in 1999. Two years later, the Knicks had declined sharply and were outsted in the first round in 2001, the same year that Houston's contract expired. The Knicks, even though they were financially strapped and largely medicore, gave Houston a 20.7 million dollar per year contract that prevented the team from making any free agent moves. The next two years, the Knicks would miss the postseason and would turn to Isiah Thomas to save the franchise (and we'll see how he did later in this list). After two seasons, Houston would start to have problems with his knee and would miss a large portion of the third and fourth years of his contract. The injury eventually forced Houston to retire in 2005. The contract destroyed the Knicks so badly that the NBA adopted an "Allan Houston Rule" which granted NBA teams the option of releasing one player to not count against the luxury tax. Author's Note: Look for Kevin Martin to be this generation's version of Allan Houston

8. Kenyon Martin, F, Denver Nuggets: 7 Years, 92.5 Million Dollars in the 2004 offseason (290 Games, 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG) - At the time of this signing, Kenyon Martin was a fine player who had played on two Eastern Conference Championship teams with the New Jersey Nets. Once the number one pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Martin blossomed once the Nets acquired Jason Kidd and became a fan favorite for the ferocity with which he would slam the basketball. Elsewhere in the NBA, the Nuggets, fresh off of drafting Carmelo Anthony, were viewed as a team on the rise that was one big man away from taking the next step. It seemed like a match made in heaven. Only problem is, Kenyon Martin had zero post moves, had Andre Miller to give him the ball instead of Jason Kidd and joined a frontcourt of Nene and Marcus Camby, who were basically the same players as Martin. Martin struggled to fit into the Nuggets rotation and the team continued to lose in the first round, never taking that next step with Martin on the roster. Microfracture knee surgeries, being sent home from the team in the postseason by head coach George Karl, and frequently clashing with fans followed and Martin's contract looks worse by the day. He's rebounded well the last couple of seasons to stay healthy and has emerged as a great defensive power forward, but he'll never be worth every penny the Nuggets gave him.

7. Andrei Kirilenko, F, Utah Jazz: 6 Years, 86 Million Dollars in the 2004 offseason (299 Games, 11.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.2 SPG) - In the wake of the departures of Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz franchise shocked everyone during the 2003-2004 season when they narrowly missed making the postseason. They were led that year by Andrei Kirilenko, known as AK47 because of his initials, number and because he and the gun shared the same birthplace (Russia). Kirilenko was a multi talented player who filled every stat you could think of and could play multiple positions on the floor. So after that surprise year, the Jazz signed Kirilenko to this contract extension. While the team experienced a surge of sorts in the years to follow, the addition of Carlos Boozer and subsequent move to small forward for Kirilenko proved to be fatal for his career. For whatever reason, Kirilenko's numbers dipped dramatically in the 2006-2007 season and clashed with coach Jerry Sloan on numerous occasions. Probably most famous for crying over his playing time in the Jazz's 2007 postseason run, Kirilenko has long since noted his desire to leave the NBA. Even once flirting with retirement, Kirilenko has since promised to play professionally in Russia once this contract goes up in Utah. Jazz fans can't wait for that day, either.

6. Eddy Curry, C, New York Knicks: 6 Years, 60 Million Dollars in the 2005 offseason (222 Games, 15.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG) - Once viewed, along with Tyson Chandler (someone else who narrowly avoided this list), as the future cornerstones of the Chicago Bulls franchise, Curry frequently dissapointed and lost in Chicago. In a contract year with the Bulls, Curry proved to be the team's go to man in the paint and turned out a solid season, although he missed the end of the regular season and all of the postseason due to a heart problem (no jokes necessary). Still in his early 20's by the time that contract expired, Isiah Thomas saw Curry as a center his team could build around and quickly signed Curry to a long term deal. What ensued was frequent losses by the Knicks, public humiliation veered towards Curry's weight and injury problems, and Curry becoming the butt of every joke amongst NBA fans and analysts alike. Curry has suffered a lot of personal tragedy as well and has tried to make it back on the court to play for Mike D'Antoni's Knicks, but he's still a guy that nobody will take on their team and that the Knicks would love to get off of their's.

5. Stephon Marbury, G, Phoenix Suns: 4 Years, 76 Million Dollars in the 2003 offseason (240 Games, 18.0 PPG, 6.5 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.2 SPG) - Now one of the most notorious players in the history of the NBA, Marbury, without an agent, signed a humongous contract extension with the Phoenix Suns following their first round playoff exit in 2003. Known as a flashy scorer, team success had always alluded Marbury. Three months after he signed the extension, Marbury was traded to his hometown New York Knicks to be the franchise player for Isiah Thomas' vision of what the Knicks should be and actually led New York to the 2004 playoffs. However, that was it. By the time the extension kicked in in the offseason, Marbury's numbers sharply declined and he would clash with Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas (following trends he started in Minnesota and New Jersey) before, last year, being famously paid to stay away from the Knicks franchise. Mike D'Antoni and company were able to finally agree to a buyout with Marbury and he would sign with the Boston Celtics, where he looked awful on the court. Also involved in a sexual harrasment lawsuit filed against the New York Knicks, Marbury famously threatened Isiah Thomas, stating that he "had things on him" that could prove to be detrimental to Isiah. Those "things" never came out, but what was revealed was how bad of a blunder Marbury's contract extension and stay in New York had been.

4. Raef LaFrentz, F-C, Dallas Mavericks: 7 Years, 70 Million Dollars in the 2002 offseason (314 Games, 7.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG) - A shot blocking force in Denver, 7'0" Raef LaFrentz could be a force in the paint and could shoot long range jumpers by the time he was traded to Dallas. After being traded to Dallas, LaFrentz would sign a huge contract in the offseason to be Dallas' center of the future next to big man Dirk Nowitzki. LaFrentz lasted one year. One of many Mark Cuban overpaid blunders (Erick Dampier, Michael Finley, DeSagana Diop, etc.), LaFrentz shines above all of those mentioned because he simply did absolutely nothing after signing the contract. He was traded to Boston, then to Portland, and did not play at all last season due to reoccuring knee injuries. LaFrentz is now out of the league but Portland used his expiring salary to sign Andre Miller and resign Brandon Roy. So he lives in spirit.

3. Jermaine O'Neal, F-C, Indiana Pacers: 7 Years, 126.6 Million Dollars in the 2003 offseason (374 Games, 18.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 2.1 APG) - Long viewed as a dissapointment after being drafted out of high school in Portland, O'Neal was traded to Indiana where he received an increase in playing time and rewarded Indiana with an increase in production. After winning the 2002 Most Improved Player of the Year award, O'Neal followed the season up with another 20 point, 10 rebound season and was a hugely sought after free agent in the 2003 offseason. Flirting with the San Antonio Spurs, O'Neal was offered the contract by Indiana and quickly signed it, becoming the Pacers' franchise player. While Indiana was successful during O'Neal's peak years in 2002, 2003 and 2004, O'Neal's injuries and contract contributed (along with the infamous Malice at the Palace) to the downfall of the Indiana Pacers franchise. Viewed as a symbol for Indiana's failures, Pacers fans turned on O'Neal and he was traded to Toronto. After a failed stint there, he was traded to Miami where he is now the starting center for the Heat. Injuries were a big reason why this contract simply did not work out, but at that much money and for that many years, there's no pardon for Jermaine O'Neal.

2. Peja Stojakovic, F, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets: 5 Years, 65 Million Dollars in the 2006 offseason (175 Games, 14.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.2 APG) - Once an intregal part of some terrific Sacramento Kings teams, Stojakovic entered the 2006 offseason coming off an injury riddled second half stint with the Indiana Pacers. One very young team that was willing to take a chance on the 6'10" sharpshooter was the young Hornets. With young players like Chris Paul and David West on the roster, the Hornets were looking for Stojakovic to be the efficient veteran to turn to in the clutch to help teach the younger players how to win. Given a maximum deal and making the first big splash of free agency, Stojakovic signed with the Hornets and immediately dissapointed. Only playing 13 games his first season, Stojakovic had a strong second season: playing in 77 games and shooting over 44 percent from behind the arc. But his shooting percentage and overall production declined sharply the very next season and he was subsequently benched this offseason. Stojakovic has found his way back into the starting lineup and remains a bittersweet fan favorite in New Orleans, but his contract has single handedly halted the development and progression of a young and promising unit.

1. Ben Wallace, F-C, Chicago Bulls: 4 Years, 60 Million Dollars in the 2006 offseason (205 Games, 4.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG) - A four time NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner and even the reigning 2 time DPOY, Ben Wallace entered the 2006 offseason as the prize of a very weak free agent class. A defensive specialist who was always known to give max effort at the center position, the Bulls, looking for a player to hold down the center position and take the team to the next level, gave all of their free cap space to Ben Wallace to lure him away from the Detroit Pistons. Outside of his comfort zone in Chicago, and playing on a team that didn't preach defense like the teams in Detroit did, Ben Wallace severely struggled in Chicago. His numbers went down across the board, his defense slipped and he was exposed big time. Facing expectations for the first time his career, Ben Wallace crumbled under pressure. He was eventually shipped to Cleveland where he started on some successful Cavaliers teams but was never the player he used to be, and the player he used to be had no business making that kind of money. He was eventually traded to Phoenix last offseason and after being bought out by the Suns considered retirement, but Ben has rejoined the Pistons and has found some of his old youth in Detroit. But Ben Wallace still tops the list of the ten worst contracts of the last ten years.

0-17. That's right; 17 straight losses to begin an NBA Season. The New Jersey Nets have done the unthinkable and joined an elite list in the NBA's illustrious history. Three franchises, only three in the entire history of the NBA, have started off a season with 17 straight losses. No team has lost 18 straight. While the Nets record indicates they'd be among the worst this decade, it's hard to see where they fall with teams of the past few years. So I thought it'd be fun to do a little research and come up with my own list of the ten worst NBA teams of the last decade. Beginning in the 2000-2001 season and concluding last season (which technically only makes it 9 seasons), all teams were candidates for this list. The ten that made it had problems with youth, problems with injuries, problems with coaching, problems with talent, problems with attendance and, obviously, problems with winning. So without further adieu, here's the Ten Worst NBA Teams of the Last Decade.

10. 2006/2007 Boston Celtics (24-58) and the 2007/2008 Minnesota Timberwolves (22-60)Head Coaches - Boston Celtics: Doc Rivers. Minnesota Timberwolves: Randy WittmanLeading Scorers - Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce . Minnesota Timberwolves: Al JeffersonYears In Review - The reason I group these teams together is because at least a handful of players found themselves on both squads as a result of the Kevin Garnett trade. After injuries to Paul Pierce, Tony Allen and company in 2007, frustration fully showed its face in the Boston Garden. After finishing the season with a 24-58 record in 2007 and then missing out on the top pick, which would have londed Boston Greg Oden , the Celtics traded five of their players in order to obtain one from Minnesota: franchise player Kevin Garnett. The players included in that deal (Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes , Sebastian Telfair , Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff ) would go to Minnesota and carry the same amount of inconsistency and agonizing defeat to Minnesota. Jefferson and Gomes are clearly good players, but they're not capable of taking a team and leading it to any kind of respectability. And since more than a handful of players carried the same amount of problems into Minnesota in 2007 that they had developed in Boston, these two teams will forever be joined in terms of NBA ineptitude since the turn of the century.

9. 2008/2009 Washington Wizards (19-63)Head Coaches - Eddie Jordan (1-10) and Ed Tapscott (18-53)Leading Scorer - Antawn JamisonYear in Review - After investing over 100 million dollars to retain star point guard Gilbert Arenas , the Wizards, who were coming off of a 43 win season the year before. looked, at the best, destined to be regulars in the Eastern Conference Playoffs each season. An impressive trio of Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler were supposed to lead the Wizards to success in the Eastern Conference, even though the team had shown no such promise before investing that much money to Jamison and Arenas. Only a few months after handing Arenas that six year contract, the Wizards received word he would be undergoing another knee surgery and would miss, basically, the entire season. Arenas played two games and another of the big three, Caron Butler, also struggled to stay healthy; missing 15 games during the season. Additionally, starting center Brendan Haywood was only available for 6 games that season and things looked bad all season for the Wizards. Having to rely on very raw big men (Andray Blatche , JaVale McGee and Dominic McQuire), very young guards (Nick Young and Javaris Crittenton ) and career journeymen (Darius Songaila , Mike James and Juan Dixon), it's no surprise that the Wizards stumbled their way to an ugly 19 win season. They had the talent of a playoff team, but when you lose your best players, you see just how bad things can get. The Wizards were exhibit A of a top heavy team.

8. 2000/2001 Washington Wizards (19-63)Head Coaches - Leonard Hamilton Leading Scorer - Richard HamiltonYear in Review - In the late 90s, the Wizards were a team with a lot of money invested in a few players but were getting few in return in terms of the win/loss column. After only one playoff appearance (in 1996/97), the Wizards looked ready to shake things up. For a few seasons they were an old, mediocre team. In 2000/2001, they became a team that imploded. Rod Strickland, Mitch Richmond and Juwan Howard all began the year as a big three for Washington, but Strickland and Howard ended the year in different locations. The team was led by a head coach, Hamilton, who was a personal hire for then head of basketball operations Michael Jordan. Hamilton could barely control the roster, famously being cussed out by Tyrone Nesby when Hamilton took Nesby out of the game. The Wizards were an ugly display of basketball on the court all season long and, the very next year, Michael Jordan would take off the sport coat and put on the cape. When the consecutive 37 win seasons that followed were considered a success, it shows how bad things had gotten in Washington; concluding with this 2000/2001 team.

7. 2005/2006 New York Knicks (23-59)Head Coach - Larry BrownLeading Scorer - Stephon MarburyYear in Review - Trying desperately to recapture respectability, the Knicks handed Isiah Thomas the keys to the franchise in 2008. He followed that up by making a plethora of moves to bring in all kinds of new players in an attempt to shake up the New York franchise. While it initially ended in a playoff appearance for the Knicks in 2004, the Knicks quickly looked like a makeshift team thrown together in an attempt at a quick fix with no real plans for the future. Isiah then pulled out the ace of spades and hired the coach who would take the Knicks back to respectability: Larry Brown. With Brown at the helm, pundits and fans alike immediately predicted big improvements for a Knicks franchise that looked very discombobulated the year before. What ensued was an insanely ugly season in the city that never sleeps. Brown immediately clashed with Stephon Marbury and the Knicks actually regressed, losing eleven more games than they had the previous year. Brown bashed the team publicly, looked very uninterested as the season wore on and would eventually be fired in the offseason. With insane money being given to a recently retired Alan Houston (20 million), Stephon Marbury (17 million), Jalen Rose (16 million), Steve Francis (14 million), Maurice Taylor (9 million), Eddy Curry (8 million), Quentin Richardson (7 million), Jerome James (5 million), Jamaal Crawford (7 million), and Malike Rose (7 million), the Knicks were officially a severely bad NBA team that was spending an insanely bad amount of money.

6. 2007/2008 Miami Heat (15-67)Head Coach - Pat RileyLeading Scorer - Dwyane WadeYear In Review - When your leading scorer for the season only plays 51 games, things are more than likely going to be tough for your franchise. The fact that this team was only two years removed from an NBA championship made things incredibly worse. Entering the season with the duo of Wade and Shaquille O'Neal still on the roster, few could have predicted the futility and agony that would be bestowed upon Miami Heat fans the next season. With starters Udonis Haslem , Jason Williams , Wade and O'Neal missing a major amount of time early in the season, the Heat were immediately far behind schedule in terms of success. To make matters worse, because big things were anticipated for the Heat that season, they were regulars on national television and fans were forced to watch the putrid display of basketball put on by the squad. Even when the Heat traded O'Neal for Shawn Marion , a player who had stayed relatively healthy his entire career, even if caught the injury bug and missed a majority of his time with the Heat. At the end of the year, only Ricky Davis played in all 82 games for Miami. But with Davis, Mark Blount , Daequan Cook and Chris Quinn becoming regulars in Miami's rotation, the losses piled up. Mercifully, Wade would be healthy the next season and Miami would make the playoffs. But that season remains a painful one to observe for NBA fans alike.

5. 2000/2001 Golden State Warriors (17-65)Head Coach - Dave CowensLeading Scorer - Antawn JamisonYear in Review - Entering the year with really past their prime players like Mookie Blaylock and John Starks still on the roster, Golden State was quickly becoming a regular among the bottom of the NBA. Things would peak, though, in the 2000/2001 season for the Warriors in terms of futility. Antawn Jamison was still a young player, currently in his third season, but the rest of the team around him was not producing at all. Midseason trades for Larry Hughes and Bob Sura were made with intentions fo building for the future, but things were really bad all season long. With Blaylock, Adam Keefe, Erick Dampier , Adonal Foyle , Chris Porter and Vonteego Cummings**** becoming regulars in the Golden State rotation, things were tough for the fans in the Oracle. Things would eventually get bright in Golden State for a couple of seasons, but unfortunately for one of the better fan bases in the NBA, things are tough again in San Francisco.

4. 2002/2003 Denver Nuggets (17-65)Head Coach - Jeff BzdelikLeading Scorer - Juwan HowardYear in Review - Similar to the situation above, the Nuggets were a consistently mediocre NBA franchise by the time the 2002/2003 season came along. Similar to the situation above, things peaked in a negative way in 2003 when the Denver Nuggets only won 17 games. After a trade in the offseason for Marcus Camby and rookie Nene Hilario, the Nuggets were expected to make more of a push towards respectability than had previously been experienced in Denver. However, injuries to Camby quickly followed and the Nuggets became a really bad team really fast. Players like Mark Bryant, Junior Harrington, Ryan Bowen, Rodney White, Donnell Harvey, Nikoloz Tskitishvilli and Vincent Yarbrouugh (I had to look that up) were receing heavy minutes in Denver's rotation. Top to bottom, this is a tough looking roster that really could not score (84.2 PPG). Carmelo Anthony would follow, however, and the Nuggets luck would change just one season later.

3. 2004/2005 New Orleans Hornets (18-64)Head Coach - Byron ScottLeading Scorer - Lee NailonYear in Review - Going into the 2004 season, the Hornets had been a regular in the NBA postseason. Although they were entering the Western Conference, they had been to the finals 7 of their previous 8 years. However, it was becoming increasingly evident that the team as constructed was not going to win a championship. For Hornets fans, the incredibly bad 2004/2005 season began. With new head coach Byron Scott and general manager Jeff Bower leading the way, the Hornets underwent an incredibly swift rebuilding process and shed contracts of Baron Davis , David Wesley, Darrell Armstrong and Jamal Mashburn along the season. The Hornets other all star player, Jamaal Magloire , was only available for 26 games. As a result of all the trades, the team was regularly led by Lee Nailon, Bostjan Nachbar, Dan Dickau, Casey Jacobsen, Chris Andersen , Jackson Vroman, Maciej Lampe and a rookie J.R. Smith . Not surprisingly, wins weren't regular in the Crescent City. P.J. Brown was the only Hornet to play in all 82 games and the Hornets consistently played in front of some of the smallest crowds in recent memory. In the offseason, Hurricane Katrina would hit New Orleans and things could have gotten much worse for the franchise. But they drafted Chris Paul , got David West healthy and made a quick turnaround to respectability.

2. 2004/2005 Atlanta Hawks (13-69)Head Coach - Mike WoodsonLeading Scorer - Al HarringtonYear in Review - The Hawks were regulars at the bottom of the league every year at the beginning of the decade. It was a slow, painful process and things looked bleak for many years in Atlanta. After hiring new coach Mike Woodson, drafting Josh Childress and Josh Smith , and trading for Al Harrington, the Hawks were now looking for plan A, B, C, D or E at the time to try and turn things around. It didn't work. Harrington responded with career highs in scoring and rebounding, but the team was completely bad, losing games by an average of 10 PPG. The Hawks would acquire Tyronn Lue during the season and subtract Jon Barry, Kevin Willis and Kenny Anderson during the year but the defeats remained. In the offseason, the Hawks would acquire Joe Johnson for Boris Diaw and would start the process to becoming the much better team that they are now. But for those few years, and especially this season, the Hawks were regulars among the worst teams in the NBA.

1. 2002/2003 Cleveland Cavaliers (17-65)Head Coach - John Lucas (8-34), Keith Smart (9-31)Leading Scorer - Ricky DavisYear in Review - As is regular in this countdown, Cleveland was a consistently bad franchise for a number of years entering the 2002/2003 NBA season. Things weren't promising at all entering the 2002 season for the Cavs, but they did get worse really fast in Cleveland. With Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas leading the way, the Cavaliers consistently turned the ball over, got blown out, played horrid defense and played in front of some horribly empty crowds at the Gund Arena. No transactions were really made throughout the season, no real rebuilding moves were made, a coaching change happened but the same team produced the same bad results all season long. Rookie Dajuan Wagner showed some promise but only played in 47 games. Meanwhile, rookie Carlos Boozer , Jumaine Jones, Darius Miles, Smush Parker, Chris Mihm and Milt Polacio got heavy minutes in Cleveland and none of them were capable of changing pace. The season was awfully bad but was quickly forgotten when Cleveland landed the number one pick and drafted LeBron James in the offseason. But that season was a horrible one to watch for Cleveland fans and one that's only forgotten because of the talent of James.

The NBA: where amazing happens.Don’t believe me?Well then you get watch the propaganda spewed out by David Stern with his commercials during the NBA Playoffs.Or, if you want more concrete evidence, watch the Orlando Magic’s meteoric rise to the NBA Finals last season.Given no credit during preseason predictions last season, the Magic went from being an “above average” team to now being the defending Eastern Conference Champion.But the Magic did not make it without problems.The credibility of their coach came into question at the first quotable reference from Shaquille O’Neal.The offensive game of Dwight Howard was critiqued at every level.Hedo Turkoglu was criticized, loved, and then all but disowned by the Magic fan base and organization.So even though the Magic are the defending division and conference champion, they enter this year with new players, a new mentality but with the same goal as everyone in this division: win the NBA Championship.The southeast division isn’t the most star studded division to take the court but they’re a solid bunch all with hopes of duplicating Orlando’s success from last season.Miami went from winning 15 games, to riding Dwyane Wade back to the postseason last year.Washington, playing all of last year without Gilbert Arenas, will look to do the same thing this season.Meanwhile, a team like Atlanta hopes to take the big step forward that Orlando took last season while a team like Charlotte is full of talent, but still trying to find its identity in hopes of making the first postseason appearance in franchise history.With new players, returning players and everything in between, this division has a whole new feel to it. However, as solid as it is, it’s not crowded at the top.Orlando enters this season as the team to beat in this division but you have four hungry and capable teams rounding out the division.From two to five, the division is really tight and could really fluctuate.There should be no doubt, however, that this is Orlando’s division to lose.This is how I predict the Southeast Division will turn out for the 2009-2010 season.

1.Orlando Magic – Last season’s run for Orlando was a sight to behold.Dwight Howard captured hearts and accolades with his performance all year and is now established as the unquestioned best center in the league.Things looked bleak as far as a run in the playoffs was concerned when Jameer Nelson was lost for the season.But the Magic pulled off a terrific trade for Rafer Alston and made the NBA Finals.Stan Van Gundy was mentioned as one of the best coaches in the NBA, but when he got into a public exchange of words with Shaquille O’Neal, he was accused of being a “master of panic” and immediately Van Gundy was under intense scrutiny.Every mistake, every play was overly scrutinized in the postseason and every time that Van Gundy’s Magic lost a game, he was immediately blamed for it.Even Marcin Gortat, the backup center for the team, came out and criticized the coach in a newspaper published in his native country during the postseason.Somehow, Van Gundy was still able to rally his troops to upset victories in series against the defending champion Boston Celtics and the indestructible Cleveland Cavaliers before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers (another loss he was blamed for).The Magic enter this season without Hedo Turkoglu, who has been the big floor manager for them for both seasons of the Van Gundy regime.Once he left for the money in Toronto, the Magic jettisoned the often criticized Rafer Alston, backup big man Tony Battie and promising rookie Courtney Lee to bring in Florida native Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.This gives the Magic a new dimension that Turkoglu really couldn’t bring and that’s athleticism.Now, not only will the team be able to shoot the long distance shot, they can also run the floor better and really push it out in transition.A healthy Jameer Nelson and the NBA return of Jason Williams, signed to be a backup here in Orlando, will also help matters in terms of pushing the tempo.The Magic are blessed with solid depth at every position across the board and should use that to their advantage all season long.With the new addition of Matt Barnes, they can start he or Mickael Pietrus at the three and Vince Carter at the two.Barnes and Pietrus both give the Magic incredible defensive effort and three point shooting, so either can be used for different matchups.With big men like Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat on the bench, the Magic are one of the few teams that has premium big men at their disposal.This may help Rashard Lewis avoid having to play bigger men for extended minutes during the game.All in all, the Magic enter this season with a swagger that was missing going into last season’s Eastern Conference Champion team.Time will tell if the addition of Vince Carter is an upgrade over Hedo Turkoglu or if the chemistry will be missing with Turkoglu gone.But there’s no denying that the talent is there, the experience is there and the mentality is there.Now they just need to take that last step to get the job done.2.Atlanta Hawks – Pigs may not be able to fly.Dogs may not able to speak English and Tony Romo may not be able to win a playoff game.But another miracle is taking place right before our eyes, consistency is residing in the Atlanta Hawks franchise.Not that they hadn’t been consistent before; if you include consecutive last place finishes consistency.But with Mike Woodson entering his fifth year at the head coaching spot and with the Hawks fresh off not only their second straight postseason appearance but their first playoff series victory in ten years, the Hawks display promise, direction and, dare I say it, consistency.The acquisition of Joe Johnson has a lot to do with that, as he’s given the Hawks a solid first option for the last four seasons and has stepped up continuously when the team has needed it.The acquisition of Mike Bibby also has done a lot, as it’s given the Hawks leadership and experience when they had none of it outside of Johnson prior to Bibby arriving.But, when you show promise expectations arrive, and now it’s time for the Hawks to start showing that they can take a new step in the right direction.Al Horford really proved to be key for the Hawks last year, and there’s no doubt that his injury played a big factor in why the Hawks were so outmatched against Cleveland in the Semifinals.He needs to stay healthy and continue to improve his game as the Hawks are a much better team when he’s being assertive and looking for possessions.The Hawks also missed Marvin William in the postseason, as the guard and forward was beginning to play a huge role in the team’s development.But his injury also derailed the team’s momentum.Josh Smith enters the season with no contract problems, no questions about his game, this is going to be his team sometime in the near future.He’s still prone to taking too many jump shots, but Smith has really evolved his game the last few seasons and stepped up his performance in the postseason.That was crucial to the Hawks winning that playoff series against Miami.Coming off the bench, the Hawks have two solid big men in Zaza Pachulia and free agent signee Joe Smith.Gone is Flip Murray from last season’s squad, but they upgraded the sixth man-combo guard role with the acquisition of Jamal Crawford.Crawford, if he openly accepts this diminished role, should flourish being the first option off the bench with no other assignment other than to score.He and Maurice Evans are a solid offensive duo on any squad and really give the Hawks options past the starting five.It’s hard to tell if any further progression will be made in Atlanta this season, but the seeds are in place for this team to grow and evolve.Staying healthy and staying hungry are huge keys for the team and how they start the season will speak wonders about what should be on the horizon in Atlanta.

3.Washington Wizards – Last season was disastrous in our nation’s capital.Washington had injuries to everyone on the roster outside of Antawn Jamison, got their coach fired and watched an abysmal season get worse until it mercifully ended with 63 losses.But there’s a new feeling of refreshment in Washington and it has everything to do with players on the team getting healthy, and not the turnover from last season’s squad.Gilbert Arenas has played all of 15 games the last two seasons and his scoring and ability to give the team options in the clutch was sorely missed last season.He had another knee surgery after signing his big free agent contract last offseason, but the Wizards seem determined to give him, Caron Butler and Jamison one more run at a championship.The biggest setback to this is that the Wizards never showed any kind of elite potential when all three were on the court together in the first place, and Butler, himself, has missed an average of 19 games a year since arriving to Washington.But the Wizards are still optimistic and the arrival of Flip Saunders should help fuel that optimism.Although his reputation has taken a beating, Flip Saunders really has shown an ability to exceed during the regular season, something the Wizards must first do before approaching any talks of winning a championship.He has a sound feel for the game on the offensive side of the ball and should be able to find a way to maximize the talent on the roster.Having options like Randy Foye and Mike Miller on the bench should only help matters in Washington, as their thin bench last year became almost laughable.Nick Young will either settle into the starting two guard role or will go back to the bench this year, something that will also help with the depth of this squad.Brendan Haywood also is returning from injury this year for Washington, and he and newly acquired Fabricio Oberto give the Wizards solid big man depth as well.The pieces are in place in Washington for another postseason run by the Wizards.Healthier players, new players and a new coach have helped ease the memory of last season’s disaster.The optimism is legit, as the prospects of a playoff appearance are good for the Wizards.But talks of a championship, or a run at the Finals, seem a bit premature.Especially with all the growing they’ll have to do this year.

4.Miami Heat – It’s amazing, but it seems so long ago that Shaquille O’Neal was manning down the center position in Miami and the Heat were winning championships.Amazingly, it’s only been three seasons.But the Heat hit bottom hard when the injury bug bit start guard Dwyane Wade and they seemed to be a franchise heading nowhere in a hurry.Wade stayed healthy last season, though, and followed up his spectacular play in the Summer Olympics with an MVP-Caliber season and leading the Heat to a postseason appearance.The biggest problem in Miami, though, was that Wade seemed to be doing it all by himself.Michael Beasley took a long time to develop and then crumbled this offseason.Mario Chalmers was solid all season as a starting point guard, even as a second round rookie, but still heard rumors about being replaced all offseason.Even a flirting session with free agent Allen Iverson didn’t seem to do much to give Wade hope that help was on the horizon, so it’s hard to imagine the Heat believing they can be any better than they were last season.One reason for optimism is that Wade is in the prime of his career and all the young players (and head coaches) on the team are a year older.Last season’s run at the playoffs did a lot for the franchise but they did nothing to truly expand on it.Jermaine O’Neal is still going to be the team’s starting center and will have his first full year with Miami while doing it.But his inconsistent play and continued battle with injuries don’t do much to ensure he’ll be there for the entire ride.And instead of improving the backup big men on the team, the Heat opted to resign both Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire.Daequan Cook and Chris Quinn give the team three point shooters off the bench and Udonis Haslem continues to man down the power forward position for this squad, but there wasn’t much excitement last year even during the team’s postseason push.All of the attention and praise went to Dwyane Wade and his MVP Chase.If the Heat are to take any steps forward, the maturation process with Chalmers and Michael Beasley will really have to take fruition.Or else they’ll be stuck in the middle of the pack just as they were last year.Having to do everything by himself could cause Wade to burn out and that could only spell doom for Miami.

5.Charlotte Bobcats – The Charlotte Bobcats are a hard team to figure out.They have one of the greatest coaches in NBA history on the bench.They have the best player to play the game as an executive and talent scout, and they have a solid bunch of role players, veterans and young players on the squad to really make up a solid team.However, there just seems to be no reason for excitement in Charlotte.The environment there didn’t change much this offseason when the Bobcats traded Emeka Okafor to the Hornets for Tyson Chandler.Chandler has a long history of injuries and inconsistent play, although he’s just as good as Okafor at the center position.If he can stay healthy, it will really do wonders for this squad and it’s ability to run the floor.But chances are he won’t be able to do that.In order to make a run at the postseason, the Bobcats acquired veteran role players Raja Bells, Boris Diaw, Vladimir Radmonovic, and DeSagana Diop.But it didn’t pay off as the team narrowly missed the postseason and is now stuck with bloated contracts from all four players.They recently brought back Raymond Felton, who watched his job go to rookie guard D.J. Augustin.Augustin did a lot off the bench for the Bobcats before fading down the stretch last season.With some proper conditioning, he can really give the Bobcats hope to be that point guard of the future.Gerald Wallace looks to have a bounce back season after struggling with injuries all of last season.With Okafor gone, Wallace is now the only original Bobcat on the squad and is the unquestioned leader of the team.If he can stay healthy it’d do wonders for the team on the court and in the locker room.The addition of Ronald Murray will do a lot of the Bobcats as he can be the team’s sixth man and help alleviate some of the pressure off of Augustin coming off of the bench.Nazr Mohammed teams up with Diop to combine a solid big man trio in Charlotte giving them pretty good depth at basically every position.It’s hard to explain the problems in Charlotte.Looking at the roster, there may not be any.But the organization still has a long way to go in terms of creating a positive environment that players will want to compete in, and believe they can win in.That’s on the horizon but not quite there in Charlotte.

Coming off of ranking the top draft picks in NBA's history, I thought it would be fun to go back and look at those guys who are quietly selected in the 2nd round. Usually when the 2nd round comes on, the televisions are turned off and people stop taking notice. As a fan, you may look at the player your team selected the next day and scratch your head at the unfamiliarity, but sometimes these players turn out to be fantastic additions to some very important squads. With there being no love for the 2nd rounders, I thought I would compose a list of the top 15 2nd round draft picks in NBA history during the Draft Lottery Era. Before 1989, drafts would go longer than 2 rounds so to give love to those picked later than normal, I'm including those who were selected after the 2nd round as well.

15) Mario Elie, G, Milwaukee Bucks drafted 160th Overall in 1985 NBA Draft out of American International College (732 Games, 8.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG) - Drafted in the 7th round in the 1985 NBA Draft, Elie didn't automatically get to play in the NBA. Becoming a playground legend in New York, nicknamed "The Jedi", Elie would then go on to play in many international leagues in the Portugese League, World Basketball League and spending two years in the CBA, all while trying to get into the NBA. Elie eventually played his first games in 1991 with the Golden State Warriors. After spending two successful seasons with the Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers, Elie would sign with the Houston Rockets and his career would take off. Nicknamed "The Junk Yard Dog", Ellie would be a key reserve and incredibly clutch shooter for two NBA Championship teams for the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. Elie's most famous shot is probably the shot that eleminated the Phoenix Suns in game 7 of the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals. Elie would start in the 1995 NBA Finals for the champion Houston Rockets and would leave to sign with the San Antonio Spurs in 1998. After signing with the Spurs, Elie started at shooting guard and helped the Spurs win their first NBA Championship with the same defense and late game shooting that made him so effective in Houston. Elie would then spend one more year with the Phoenix Suns before retiring in 2001. Elie currently serves as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks.

14) P.J. Brown, F-C, New Jersey Nets drafted 29th Overall in 1992 NBA Draft out of Louisiana Tech University (1,089 Games, 9.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 BPG) - Leaving Louisiana Tech as the school's 2nd place all time blocked shots leader and 5th place all time rebounds leader, Brown would be drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the first pick in the 2nd round of the 1992 NBA Draft. Electing to play in Greece his rookie season instead of signing with the Nets, Brown would be very successful for Panionios for only one season before signing with the Nets. Brown would immediately become a key defensive big man for the Nets during a 1994 playoff run before signing with the Miami Heat in 1996. While with the Heat, Brown and Alonzo Mourning keyed one of the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA and would routinely lead Miami to the NBA Postseason. Void of postseason success, however, the Heat would try to shape things up and win a championship by trading Brown to the Charlotte Hornets. While with Charlotte, P.J. Brown became a fan favorite for his quiet demeanor and strong, physical play and would eventually get to play in his hometown of New Orleans when the Charlotte Hornets moved there in the 2002 offseason. P.J. Brown would continue to be a very servicable player for New Orleans before being traded to the Chicago Bulls. It looked as if that would be the end of Brown's career, but Brown signed with the Boston Celtics midway through the 2007-2008 season and would be the team's best reserve big man en route to finally winning that elusive NBA Championship. Brown never officially announced his retirement but did not sign with anybody during the 2008-2009 season and is rumored to want to get into coaching.

13) Cuttino Mobley, SG, Houston Rockets drafted 41st Overall in 1998 NBA Draft out of University of Rhode Island (747 Games, 16.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG) - After playing colleigately at Rhode Island and teaming with Lamar Odom to lead the Rams to an Elite 8 appearance, the sharp shooting Cuttino Mobley would be drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 1998. After being drafted in the second round, something Mobley took personally, he worked to become a starter for the Rockets for the majroity of his rookie season. He and Steve Francis eventually formed a dynamic offensive duo for the Rockets and Mobley would emerge as the guy who drew the assignment of guarding the other team's best swingman. After averaging over 15 points a game for seven straight seasons, Mobley would be traded to the Magic and then from the Magic to the Kings before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. Once in Los Angeles, Mobley helped the Clippers win their first postseason round in franchise history in 2006. He would later be traded to the New York Knicks and during his physical for the Knicks, he was found to have an irregular heart condition. The heart condition killed former NBA player Reggie Lewis and Mobley, taking precaution, announced his retirement from basketball after finding out the condition.

12) Antonio Davis, PF, Indiana Pacers drafted 45th Overall in 1990 NBA Draft out of University of Texas in El Paso (903 Games, 10.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 APG) - After being drafted in the 2nd round by the Pacers, Davis would elect to play in Europe from 1990 until 1993. After signing with the Indiana Pacers in 1993, Davis would immediately become an extremely productive sixth man and would give the team energy, defensive effort and strong physicality around the basket, quickly winning over fans and coaches alike. Although he played five strong seasons with Indiana, Davis' best days came when he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for the draft rights to Jonathan Bender. After going to Toronto, Davis would be named to the 2001 Eastern Conference All Star Team and would routinely pick up double doubles over a season's span. Davis was eventually traded to the Bulls and wound up on the Knicks before heading back to Toronto for his 13th season. After playing only eight games in his return with Toronto, Davis would start to suffer from a chronic back injury. The injury eventually forced him to retire in 2006.

11) Cedric Ceballos, F, Phoenix Suns drafted 48th Overall in 1990 NBA Draft out of California State University in Fullerton (609 Games, 14.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.2 APG) - An offensively potent player for Cal State Fullerton, Ceballos was drafted by the Phoenix Suns and immediately worked his way to being an offensive threat off of the bench for some successful Phoenix teams. In 1993, Ceballos lead the NBA in field goal percentage and was the sixth man for a Suns team that went to the 1993 NBA finals. Ceballos would receive more playing time in the 1993-1994 season and started averaging above 19 points a game with the Suns. After signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ceballos would take the team by storm averaging above 20 points a game in his only two full seasons with Los Angeles and also winning the 1995 Slam Dunk Contest. Ceballos would be traded back to Phoenix and would eventually be a reserve for Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit and Miami before leaving the NBA in 2001.

10) Clifford Robinson, F, Portland Trail Blazers drafted 36th Overall in 1989 NBA Draft out of University of Connecticut (1,380 Games, 14.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG) - As a very balanced very successful player for the UConn Huskies, Robinson would be drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers and immediately become one of the best sixth men in the league. A tall player capable of playing either position and scoring from anywhere on the floor, Robinson would be a key contributor to two Western Conference Champion teams in Portland and would win the 1993 NBA Sixth Man of the Year with Portland. After spending eight years with Portland, Robinson would go on to have similar success in Phoenix, notching a 50 point game at the age of 33 with Phoenix. After routinely leading the Suns in scoring for some successful teams that reached the postseason, Robinson would go on to become a starter for the Pistons and Warriors before finishing his career as a reserve for the Nets. At the tail end of his career Robinson would be suspended on two separate occasions for testing positive for marijuana. Robinson would retire in 2007 and would, then, have his jersey number retired by the historic UConn Huskies.

9) Stephen Jackson, G-F, Phoenix Suns drafted 43rd Overall in 1997 NBA Draft out of Oak Hill Academy High School (599 Games, 15.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.3 SPG) - After commiting to the University of Arizona, Jackson would be deemed academically ineligible and be kicked out of the school in his freshman season. After spending one semester at Butler Community College, but not playing basketball, Jackson would declare for the 1997 NBA Draft. Even though he was drafted, Jackson would not make the final roster for Phoenix and would then spend three seasons around the world, playing in the CBA, NBL and in Venezuela and the Domincan Republic. Jackson would eventually sign with the New Jersey Nets in the 2000 NBA offseason and would be a productive reserve for the Nets during the 2000-2001 season. After his contract went up, Jackson would sign with the San Antonio Spurs and under the tutelage of Greg Popovich, would eventually work his way towards becoming the team's starting shooting guard for their 2003 NBA Championship run hitting numerous critical shots for the Spurs along the way in the postseason. After winning that championship, Jackson tried to cash in on his success but received a limited amount of offers. He would sign a one year deal with Atlanta, turning himself into an extremely productive player with the Hawks and turning that into a six year deal with the Indiana Pacers. While in Indiana, Jackson would become involved in many on and off the court troubles including being suspended in the infamous Pistons Pacers brawl. Jackson was traded to the Golden State Warriors and right away would go back to his clutch postseason performances by helping the Warriors pull of the upset of heavily favored Dallas in the 2007 NBA First Round. Jackson's continued to steadily increase his production with the Warriors and is one of the most tenacious, if not troubled, successful players in the league.

8) Gilbert Arenas, G, Golden State Warriors drafted 31st Overall in 2001 NBA Draft out of University of Arizona (433 Games, 22.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 SPG) - After leaving the Arizona Wildcats following his sophomore season, Arenas would be deemed a shaky prospect without much potential, lacking the size to be a shooting guard and lacking the ball handling skill to be a legitimate point guard. Because of this, Arenas was passed over by every team in the first round but would then be drafted by the Golden State Warriors. After spending his rookie season working hard towards becoming a superstar, Arenas would get his chance and in his second year in the league would win the 2003 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award, quickly becoming one of the best young scorers in the league. Arenas turned his second season into a long term deal with the Washington Wizards where his performances became some of the most popular clips in sports. Combining a fantastic knack for scoring the basketball with clutch shooting and a vibrant personality, Arenas would quickly become one of the most popular players in the league. After leading the Wizards to the postseason two straight seasons, even winning a first round matchup for the first time in over a decade for Washington. However, after following that with successful individual seasons for the Wizards, Arenas would be experiencing his best NBA Season in 2006-2007 when with eight games left in the season, Gerald Wallace accidentally fell into Arenas' leg. Arenas then missed the postseason and would only play 13 games the following season for the Wizards, although he did try and play for the team in the postseason. After opting out of his contract with Washington and signing a new, huge long term deal for the Wizards, Arenas would only play two games in the first year of his contract after another knee operation. It's unknown whether Arenas will ever return to the exciting style of basketball that made him so popular as he's struggled to get on the court for the past three seasons.

7) Michael Redd, G, Milwaukee Bucks drafted 43rd Overall in 2000 NBA Draft out of Ohio State University (550 Games, 20.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG) - Leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the final four in his junior season, Redd had been the driving force for Ohio State's offense all three of his colleigate seasons for the Buckeyes. After his junior season, Redd declared for the 2000 NBA Draft and was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks. Redd rarely played in his rookie season but played so hard in practice and continued to work on his jump shot so in his second season, coach George Karl offered to give Redd more minutes. Redd responded with solid production and was then given a starting job for the Bucks. By his fourth season in the league, Redd became one of the best shooting guards in the league, becoming deadly effective from the three point line and also routinely leading the Bucks in scoring. He would be rewarded for his efforts with a six year deal from Milwaukee. Redd won a Gold Medal with the USA Olympic Basketball Team in 2008 and has been the best player on two Bucks teams that have made the postseason. He still has many solid years ahead of him and looks to continue to be an effective offensive force in the NBA

6) Jeff Hornacek, G, Phoenix Suns drafted 46th Overall in 1986 NBA Draft out of Iowa State University (1,077 Games, 14.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG) - The son of a basketball coach, Hornacek wasn't even given a scholarship to play college basketball and walked on to the Iowa State Cyclones' basketball team. However, shortly after being redshirted by Iowa State, Hornacek would begin to receive huge minutes and would lead Iowa State to the sweet sixteen in his senior season. Hornacek finished his colleigate career as the Big 8 all-time leader in assists. Hornacek would work his way into Phoenix's rotation and would become a legitimate star and scoring force for Phoenix during his stay there. One of the best pure shooters in the league's history, Hornacek would prove to be deadly from three point range and from the free throw line and would average 20 points a game in his last season with Phoenix. He would be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Charles Barkley, but was moved to point guard and the transition was not met with much success. As a result, Philadelphia would trade Hornacek to the Utah Jazz where he could return to his shooting guard position. As a member of the Utah Jazz, Hornacek would prove to be a crucial player on two Western Conference Champion Jazz teams. After battling knee problems, Hornacek would retire from the NBA in 2000 and would have his jersey number retired by the Utah Jazz.

5) Mark Price, G, Dallas Mavericks drafted 25th Overall in 1986 NBA Draft out of Georgia Tech University (722 Games, 15.2 PPG, 6.7 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG) - Despite the fact that Price was an extremely successful player at the colleigate leve, his size and skill level was routinely criticized prior to the 1986 NBA Draft. As a result, Price was not taken in the first round and was instead selected as the first pick of the 2nd round. After being drafted by the Mavericks, Price's rights were immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers who made Price their starting point guard in his second season and became a very successful Eastern Conference team. Known best for his fantastic shooting touch, Price finished his career with career averages of 90.4 % and 40 % from the free throw and three point line, respectively. Price would finish as Cleveland's franchise leader in assists and steals and was named an NBA All Star on four different occasions. Injuries started to plague Price at the end of his career and he was traded to the Washington Bullets in 1995. However, he would bounce around and play for four teams his final four seasons before retiring due to those injuries in 1998.

4) Anthony Mason, F, Portland Trail Blazers drafted 53rd Overall in 1988 NBA Draft out of Tennessee State University (882 Games, 10.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.4 APG) - Seen by many as too slow to play the small forward position and too small to play the power forward position, Mason was not drafted until the 53rd selection in the 1988 NBA draft, but would not last with the Portland Trail Blazers before being released. After being released, Mason played in the CBA, USBL, in Turkey and in Venezuela before coming back to the NBA and signing on with various teams, usually only lasting as a team's 12th man off the bench. Mason started to gain muscle and strength to make up for his lack of size and would sign with the New York Knicks in 1991. After signing with the Knicks, Pat Riley helped turn Mason into one of the most feared defenders in the NBA and he quickly blossomed in New York, becoming a key contributor on a team that went to the 1994 NBA Finals. In 1995, Mason would win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets. While in Charlotte, Mason made an All NBA Third Team and also would routinely make NBA All Defensive Teams. Mason would reunite with Pat Riley in Miami and would help the Heat make the playoffs despite the kidney ailment to Alonzo Mourning that kept Mourning out of 69 games that season. Mason would end his career on a sour note, signing with Milwaukee and being blamed for many chemistry problems on that team. Mason would pubicly battle with coach George Karl and also struggle with his weight. The Bucks would miss the postseason that year and Mason would quickly be benched. He played one more season in Milwaukee but quietly retired in 2003.

3) Drazen Petrovic, G, Portland Trail Blazers drafted 60th Overall in 1986 NBA Draft out of Yugoslavia (290 Games, 15.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.3 RPG) - Billed as a Yugoslavian Michael Jordan, Petrovic would turn pro for BC Sibenka at the age of 15 before having to leave for two years after turning 18 to serve in the military. Once his service was done, Petrovic would go on to to play for BC Cibona Zagreb and would win the European Cup Title. By the time he was drafted in 1986, Petrovic had already won an Olympic Bronze Medal and was already a national sensation. After signing with Portland in the 1988 offseason, the confident Petrovic boasted that a lack of playing time would be the only factor that could ruin his NBA experience. Sitting behind Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter, Petrovic rarely played and the reigning European Player of the Year vocally spoke up about his lack of playing time. After demanding a trade, midway through his second season, Petrovic was traded to the New Jersey Nets where he took off. Petrovic would perform fine with increased minutes with New Jersey, but in his first full season with the Nets Petrovic averaged over 20 points a game and became an unstoppable offensive force. The year after, Petrovic again increased his scoring average and would shoot over 52 percent from the field and 45 percent from three point range. As a result, Petrovic was named to the All NBA Third Team. In the 1993 NBA offseason, rumor has it that Petrovic was unhappy with his teammates and was contemplating returning to Europe. However, at the age of 28, Petrovic would be killed in a car crash. Posthumuously, Petrovic was enducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

2) Dennis Rodman, F, Detroit Pistons drafted 27th Overall in 1986 NBA Draft out of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (911 Games, 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG ) - An eccentric personality with an even wilder game on the court, Dennis Rodman went from an offensively challenged athlete on Detroit's bench to their defensive force against all things offensively from the opposition. Very long and limber and an agile, graceful athlete, Rodman perfected the art of rebounding the basketball and took on the assignment of guarding the opposing team's best player, regardless of position, and did so better than anybody in the league. After winning two NBA Championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, Rodman would go on to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in two consecutive seasons, once in the Pistons' 1990 second championship season and again in 1991. After falling out of favor in Detroit due to the departure of Chuck Daily and alot of the original "Bad Boys", Rodman was traded to the San Antonio Spurs and began to become more of a sideshow than a player. While in San Antonio, he would start to trademarkedly dye his hair before every game and even dated Madonna, prompting the pop icon to appear at games at San Antonio's Alamodome. Due to the fact that San Antonio was a very conservative city and a very calm, quiet team, Rodmany openly clashed with David Robinson, Chuck Person and coach Brian Hill. As a result, Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls who, under coach Phil Jackson, found a way to tame Rodman and allow him to be himself as long as he was hisself on the court. Rodman would then become a starter on three additional championship teams for the Bulls, although some of his on court and off court shenangians continued to overshadow his play on the court. He had consecutive one year stints with the Lakers and Mavericks before dissapearing from the league in 2000.

1) Manu Ginobili, G, San Antonio Spurs drafted 57th Overall in 1999 NBA Draft out of Argentina (478 Games, 14.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.5 SPG) - In a story very similar to Petrovic's, Manu Ginobili was largely unknown when the Spurs took the Argentinan and Italian league star in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft. Due to the fact that he was still under contract in Italy, Ginobili stayed in Europe and won the 2001 Italian Championship, 2001 and 2002 Italian Cups and the 2001 Euroleague while also being named the 2001 Euroleague's Final Four MVP. Ginobili then outshined the entire world in the 2002 FIBA World Championships and promptly signed in the 2002 offseason with the San Antonio Spurs. As a rookie, Ginobili immediately won fans over with his hustle, penchant for big plays and infectuous style of basketball and was the sixth man on a Spurs team that won it's second championship in franchise history. After resigning with the Spurs following his second season, Ginobili showed signs of becoming a breakout star. Annualy picking up his game in the postseason, Ginobili was arguably the Spurs best player during their 2005 NBA Championship Run and continued to take on the role of Sixth Man off the bench for the Spurs, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008. Ginobili continued to come up big for the Spurs in the postseason and won his third championship with San Antonio in 2007. Because of his style of play and age, Ginobili's body is already starting to show signs of slowing down but Ginobili himself won't. It'll be interesting to see how he comes back from injury, but Ginobili is arguably the best second round draft pick in NBA history.

1) Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavaliers were the best team throughout the entire season, expressing dominance at home, boasting the greatest player in the game and a fantastic group of shooters that could really spread the floor. Their commitment to defense, though, is what's been the true reason for their elevation of play.

2) Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant really was in neutral all season long, letting Pau Gasol carry the brunt of the responsibility, and for that reason the Lakers are dangerous come playoff time. Now that Andrew Bynum is back, it'll be interesting to see who finishes the games in Los Angeles. With Bynum out last postseason, Odom and Gasol finished games and it looks as if Odom may very well be the odd man out this year.

3) Boston Celtics - Losing Kevin Garnett is killer if that's really true. Hopefully he comes back and the Celtics can defend their championship at full strength. Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce did a great job righting the ship this season regardless of who was out due to injury, and players like Glen Davis, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen as of late have really given the Celtics a nice core of young players as well.

4) Portland Trail Blazers - The Trail Blazers provided one of the most exciting seasons among any team in the league this year. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge were the catalysts for a team that boasts just some spectacular role players and two legitimate centers. With the best home fans in the league (sorry Utah) the Blazers are poised for a tough run in this year's postseason.

5) Denver Nuggets - Chauncey Billups arriving really provided the spark this team needed to get out of their mediocre ways. A new effort on defense was shown, and Carmelo Anthony was able to, quietly, have the best season of his young career. The return of Chris Andersen, though, is the best story on this team full of characters and talent.

6) Houston Rockets - The Rockets were able to overcome the losses of Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston with some fantastic play in the second half of the season. They're one of the better defensive teams in the league and they make up for their defeciences with an unbelievable display of effort on the court.

7) San Antonio Spurs - The loss of Manu Ginobili is critical in the postseason, but the Spurs have overcome injuries all season to all of the big three to give themselves the Southwest Division Championship. Quite a season by the Spurs when you consider all that happened to the team.

8) Orlando Magic - The Magic faded down the stretch, but still boast the game's most dominant center and a fantastic array of shooters. Hedo Turkoglu's injury is critical (as was Jameer Nelson's back in February) but the Magic still found a way to win 59 games due to their new commitment on the defensive end spearheaded by Dwight Howard.

9) New Orleans Hornets - Another team that was decimated by injuries this season. By the visual test, the Hornets really underachieved and regressed this year, but all things considered they did a fantastic job masking their weaknesses this season to get into the playoffs and put themselves in position to make a run. Health, though, could really do them in.

10) Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks peaked at the right time, at the end of the season. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry had fantastic seasons and Jason Kidd headed a very effecient offensive group. They're fantastic at home and can really score the basketball.

11) Atlanta Hawks - Mike Woodson deserves some recognition for the job he did getting this Hawks team to build off of last season to emerge into the squad that they currently are. They have a team full of talented, unselfish players and can really make a run in the postseason.

12) Utah Jazz - Unfortuantely, one of the most talented teams in the Western Conference cannot win on the road and that simply puts too much pressure on them to win at home. Deron Williams has done it by himself the last month of the season and the Jazz have to hope they haven't exhausted their star point guard. The Jazz's decline, coincidentally, can be traced back to the return of Carlos Boozer and the shift of Paul Millsap back to the bench.

13) Miami Heat - Dwyane Wade really carried this team to new heights this season. However, the contributions of rookies Michael Beasley and especially Mario Chalmers shouldn't be overlooked, as these three give the Heat a dangerous unit heading into the postseason. Wade is head and shoulders above everyone on the team, but there's not a bunch of scrubs lacing it up with Wade.

14) Chicago Bulls - A fantastic midseason trade helped the Bulls pull of a spectacular run at the end of the season to get them into the playoffs. A bad loss at home helps people forget the fantastic basketball the team was playing en route to their run. Vinny Del Negro did a mighty fine job considering his lack of any experience coaching at any level.

15) Philadelphia 76ers - Losing Maurice Cheeks really hurt this team. I know they posted a better record without him, but they surged in last season's second half and faltered in this season's second half. Elton Brand was heavily criticized, but he'd help in the half court game they may have to play in the playoffs.

16) Phoenix Suns - A pathetic defensive display is what keeps Phoenix out of the postseason for the first time since 2004. Shaquille O'Neal had a very nice bounce back season for the Suns and it was nice to see Grant Hill play all 82 games. However, this team is a mediocre assortment of aging and average players and look to be heading in the wrong direction for the future.

17) Detroit Pistons - Who would have thought the trade that brought in Allen Iverson would have that much of an affect on this team's chemistry (besides me, of course)? The Pistons emerged as shells of their former selves this season and moonwalk into the postseason hoping to flip the switch on again.

18) Indiana Pacers - The loss of Mike Dunleavy really hurt this team, and having to reacclimate Danny Granger right in the middle of their surge to the postseason made the Pacers stumble a bit and is the biggest reason they didn't make the postseason. However, if Dunleavy can come back next year and mix well with the good draft picks this team has ,Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert, then the Pacers (my presseason pick for the 8th seed) can make a run at the playoffs next season.

19) Milwaukee Bucks - Richard Jefferson emerged as a really solid player this year. He's always been good, but holding this depleted squad in playoff contention for as long as they did speaks wonders for Jefferson and still underrated coach Scott Skiles. They have quite the find in Ramon Sessions and this team is headed in the right direction with the right offseason moves.

20) Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats made a push for the postseason before faltering down the stretch. However, looking at the players that they acquired simply for the playoffs, this is no longer a team on the rise. They have good, young players but they have a mixture of solid veterans as well. There's no excuse for them to not make the postseason next year.

21) New York Knicks - Mike D'Antoni's refusal to play defense kept the Knicks out of the playoffs this year. David Lee, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler emerged to become fantastic players for New York and it's nice to see Madison Square Garden care again. The moves they make this offseason will be critical to the future of this team.

22) New Jersey Nets - They had a great first half to the season, but their lack of raw talent came back to hurt them as the season progressed. Vince Carter did a great job as the leader of this team, but he is the most likely candidate to be moved this offseason for New Jersey. They have to like what they saw from Devin Harris and Brook Lopez this year, and this is a team headed in the right direction.

23) Golden State Warriors - Injuries to Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Corey Maggette this year didn't help matters this year and if you couple that with the fact that the Warriors were the youngest team in the league, their record shouldn't come as a surprise to you. However, this team is really talented and with the right seasoning could be poised for another playoff run next year or the year after. They still could use a true point guard.

24) Toronto Raptors - Unfortunately, the acquisition of Jermaine O'Neal and the midsesason trade of O'Neal for Marion did nothing for the Raptors postseason hopes. Chris Bosh, after a hot start, had a really average finish and Jose Calderon did not elevate his game as expected following the big contract. This is a team that has a very interesting offseason approaching them, but they have to like the improvement of Andrea Bargnani this season.

25) Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and company give that fantastic fan base a lot of hope for the future. They're another big man and, possibly, a legitimate shooting guard away from the playoffs as early as next season. Keeping interim coach Scott Brooks was the right thing to do, as well, seeing as how that team responded to him at the end of the year.

26) Minnesota Timberwolves - Losing Al Jefferson killed their season, as before that Minnesota was really starting to play solid basketball. I still don't know how they're going to play Kevin Love and Jefferson together, but Jefferson and Randy Foye give Minnesota a nice one-two combination for the future. Mike Miller was a huge dissapointment this season, and Minnesota should look to make a few moves in the offseason including finding something to do with Miller.

27) Memphis Grizzlies - O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley have the Grizzlies heading in the right direction. They still didn't take the step forward that I was expecting from them, but they showed moments of cohesiveness. If they can somehow land Blake Griffin, this team will be set to really leap forward next season. However, Rudy Gay didn't progress as much as what was to be expected this season, and he needs to bounce back next season.

28) Washington Wizards - Injuries ruined this team but unfortunately, they're not very talented even when healthy. This is a team heading nowhere in a hurry with all of the money they have tied into Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. The Wizards are probably going to give it another run next season, fully healthy, but I wouldn't expect anything more than a possible appearance in the postseason.

29) Los Angeles Clippers - Expectations and an insurgent of talent in Clippers couldn't keep the Clippers from being the Clippers this season. Everyone on the team missed significant time due to injury, and they never meshed as a unit. Even though they have fantastic individual pieces, you have to wonder if this team will work well as a unit at all. They'll probably get another shot next season.

30) Sacramento Kings - Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes and company should be embarassed at the effort put up in Sacramento this season. The lack of talent on the team cost a good coach, Reggie Theus, his job and Martin couldn't do much to salvage any kind of hope for even next season. This team is a long way from any kind of contention and they have holes at every single position on the floor. It doesn't look good for a struggling franchise, and it's a shame to see all of those empty seats at Arco Arena on a nightly basis.